Raymond Ong's Blog » Cupertino Homes http://raymondong.com Realty World - Champions Fri, 04 Feb 2011 01:58:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 5 Reasons to Sell Now http://raymondong.com/2010/02/18/5-reasons-to-sell-now/ http://raymondong.com/2010/02/18/5-reasons-to-sell-now/#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:26:41 +0000 Raymond Ong /?p=35 Selling a property in this tough market can seem like a challenge. There are many reasons that a person need to sell their home. Some are personal, such as needing a larger home for an expanding family or the house is just too big for the empty nesters.  There are also financial reasons, such as job changes, cash flow problems, or relocation needs.  Here are five factors that actually make this a good time to post a For-Sale sign.

1. Sell low and buy low. Because all property values are down, the sellers’ loss on a property is really only a paper loss because the next property they buy also will be a bargain. If they buy smartly, when prices come back up in a few years, they’ll be in better shape.

2. Market has stabilized in many areas.  We are seeing that for the single family homes, many of the markets in the South Bay Area had bottom out during 2009.  We expect that market will continue to improve as the inventory remains low and the demand for housing is strong. 

3. Down-payment help is widely available. While nothing-down loans have disappeared, it is easy to find down-payment assistance for lower-income and first-time home buyers. Programs vary all over the country, but one good way to find them is to search online for “down-payment assistance programs” and the name of your region.

4. Your uncle has money to share. Besides the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit and the $6,500 move-up credit, there are an array of energy tax credits that can make home improvements pay off in cash.

5. Good help is available. Really talented real estate agents, contractors, and designers are available and eager for business.

If you are thinking about selling to upgrade to a better home or area, the first thing to do is to sit down with a financial planner to figure out what is your budget and then talk to a realtor to define about your housing needs and learn about your options.  If the home in the desired location is too expensive, looking for a condo or townhome in the same area could be an alternative.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions regarding your situation or the value of your home.  We are always here to help.

]]> http://raymondong.com/2010/02/18/5-reasons-to-sell-now/feed/ 9 Median Sold Price in Cupertino has gone up 10% since last year http://raymondong.com/2010/02/12/median-sold-price-in-cupertino-has-gone-up-10-since-last-year/ http://raymondong.com/2010/02/12/median-sold-price-in-cupertino-has-gone-up-10-since-last-year/#comments Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:50:04 +0000 Raymond Ong /?p=19
The 2010 has only just begun.  Already, we know the market is moving with lots of activities.  One of the statistics that we track here at Realty World Champions is the median Sold Price for homes sold in Cupertino.
At January 09, the median sold price was $1,015,000 and this January, the median sold price was $1,120,000.  The index has gone up by $105,000, or about 10 % increase.  That means the more homes are selling at a higher price! It also means that the high end market, which has been dormant for the past two years, is started to get active again. What exciting news for all the home owners interested in selling their homes.

Another exciting index to follow is the absorption rate, which is an indicator that we watch very carefully every month.  The absorption rate is simply total available homes for sale versus number of pending sales.  The available home for sale is the supply of homes and the pending sales is the demand for homes.  In January ’09, there were 134 homes listed for sale and there were only 14 pending sales.  So the absorption rate is about 10.45%. That was the highest absorption rate we had in the past several years.  Last month, there were 51 homes for sale and 33 homes were under contract or pending sales.  The current absorption rate is about 64.71%.  This is a dramatic difference considering the fact that the unemployment rate in Silicon Valley is still above 11% and the news media continued to report lack of confidence in consumer spending.  We just don’t see that in the Cupertino housing market!  With such high absorption rate, we believe the home price will move up as there is more demand for homes and low inventory situation continues.

If you like to read the complete 21 page market statics report or, if you like to find out what is the value of your home, please send us an email or give us a call.  We welcome your questions and comments.

Median Home Sold Price During Last Year

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